sandik

I don't dislike Diamonds, but it is probably my least favorite section of Jewels. Sometimes I think that Balanchine made one gigantic ballet to Tschaikovsky, and we see various parts of it in various works. To me, it feels that he is working with themes and ideas that he has also explored in other places, and though he does many wonderful things with them, I have a kind of deja vu response to the ballet. Lately, especially with the recent performances by PNB, I've been the most interested in Emeralds, partially because it seems much more unusual for Balanchine.

Well, there's Hammerstein and Kern in "Ol' Man River" "You get a little drunk and you lands in jail"

Another resource you might want to explore is the Dance Notation Bureau. They list a couple of scores for Dolin's PdQ in their Catalogue of Notated Theatrical Dances, one of the full ballet notated in 1984, and another just of the Lucile Grahn variation notated in 1965. They would have information on copyright as a part of their restaging program. www.dancenotation.org/DNB/index.html

What a wonderful title! This discussion is so fascinating, in part because it gets to the heart of why we are all here. Art, whether it's dance or music or painting or streetcorner rapping, has the capacity to both cut to the deepest parts of our psyche and to connect us with other people at that level. Art is dangerous, and art is important, and our responses to it and to each other are governed as much by our instinctual selves as they are by our reason or our understanding of the world. Interesting that someone (Helene, I think -- I can't page back far enough) mentioned Jerome Robbins earlier, since he also testified in front of HUAC, and inspires the same winceing response in many people. They can admit to the quality of his work, but cannot get past the person that made them. Others, some who lived through the same difficult times, and some whose knowledge of them is only theoretical, make their own peace with him. As I (frequently!) tell my 12 y.o., explanations aren't excuses, but they are explanations. And as a sometimes historian, I like to know the stories -- I like to know the explanations.

This list just takes my breath away -- many, many thanks to rg and to Ballettalk for this invaluable collection.

I think Streep would be a wonderful choice, but so would Glenn Close. I don't think that this will be a replica of the original interpretations, and yes, Burton will go for the visuals, but it is a film, and that's what film does best. I'll be very interested in seeing what Depp and Burton bring to the work.

My sister has worked box offices for years, and so I have heard many, many stories about seat selection. If you get the seat you want, and if this means that you're happy with your experience, you're much more likely to return -- that is certainly not wasting the box office staffer's time!

Bottom's pointe shoes in Ashton's "The Dream."

I was mousing around on the PNB website and noticed that Kiyon Gaines, Casey Herd & Jordan Pacitti were in a staged photo for FF -- that could be a very interesting trio. I wonder if they're in line to perform, or if this combination was just for the photo call.

Saw a wire service notice today that Tim Burton will be directing a film version of Sweeny Todd, with Johnny Depp as Todd, set for 2007 release.

It's not fair when you make me choke on my tea!

My apologies for multiple postings, but I hadn't seen this thread in a couple of days. This isn't really an example of an eggcorn, if I understand that term, but it is a favorite example of misunderstanding a dance term. From an interview I did with Clare Lauche Porter on her career teaching ballet in Fresno, she said that the local newspaper 'corrected' one of her early audition notices, and reminded people that they should bring "pointed shoes" with them to the studio.

And this whole time, I thought it was "to the manor born." So did I, but I guess it's about the manners at the manor.

I know a couple of small ensembles who have actually used this (Nutcracker Sweets) as a title.

PNB does do pre and post show discussions at the theater, but they also have a public lecture/panel discussion for each program, co-sponsored by a local book store and usually featuring some artist involved with that program, a lunchtime lecture-with-video at the central branch of the library, and last year began offering mini-studio shows for some of the programs on Friday evenings (before the main run) that are "geared towards young adults and college students" Most of these (except the studio shows) are free. http://www.pnb.org/season/dc2006.html

Perhaps the difference might be in what I think of as the layers of the work -- the Balanchine works you mention (especially Who Cares and Stars and Stripes) have scores that could be described as popular rather than classical, and the costumes/settings are almost comically accesible, but the dances themselves are as rigorous as most of his other works. There is something there for many different people to watch. I have a similar impression of Twyla Tharp's repertory, though in her case I think the popular culture elements are even more intentionally used. There's the Beach Boys, the graffitti, and there's the choreography, which can be as twisty as a calculus textbook and as exhilirating as a roller coaster.

Thank you so much for linking to that thread -- I was fascinated with the discussion in general, and particularly with Reid's insight on the role. His death is indeed a loss.

In today's links section, Dirac includes a notice about Dance Theater of Harlem (a corner at Amsterdam and 152nd has been renamed for the company, and they have received a $200,000 grant from the city... http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.p...=0entry188238 They've been on hiatus since 2004 -- as much as I respect Arthur Mitchell, and would love to see the company revived, what are the actual chances of them coming back as a viable ensemble?

I don't think of Wikipedia as a definitive source for factual information, but it's certainly a window onto people's interests and opinions, especially in controversial areas. It fascinates the anthropologist in me.

We in Seattle didn't, either. Korbes danced Lilac Fairy, as well as the Gold and Silver pas de trois in the Wedding act. I imagine, though, that if the company mounts this production again and she is still here, she will step into the role. She was a lovely Lilac Fairy, very attuned to the unfolding drama of the ballet as well as the more dancerly possibilities.

I get press materials regularly from the Stuttgart company, and although they do continue to produce classically-oriented work, they perform a wide variety of what might be considered crossover works as well. http://www.stuttgart-ballet.de/english/index.html shows the 2006-07 season.

Like everyone, I was so sorry to learn of Melissa Hayden's death -- I never had the chance to see her perform live, but did see her coach a few times and was very impressed with her knowledge and her verve. There was one small omission in the obit from NCSA. After her time at Skidmore, she came to Seattle for a season as Ballet Mistress and director of the school at what was then called Pacific Northwest Dance. At that point the company was still doing the ballet scenes in the opera productions, along with the Lew Christensen Nutcracker -- she helped stage a couple of repertory programs (the only thing I recall off the top of my head is the Liberty Bell duet from Stars and Stripes) I remember she brought several dancers with her from Skidmore, and I think they all left with her at the end of the season when she moved back east to open her studio in NYC. It wasn't a good fit at the time, but it was certainly an interesting year.

Yes. but in reference to the earlier request for another Diaghilev, he was the one who asked his artists to "Astonish me."

Yes it is -- whoopee!

The Kirov performed the Sergeyev version of SB in LA. --Andre I thought so -- thanks.